Minako and Usagi Adventures: Loving A Man Series: Minako's Mystery: Morning Rises

5 August 2004

Summary: When Minako wakes up one morning, it is to find that she is not alone in a bed she's never seen. Her greatest mistake was bolting that fateful dawn.

Chapter 4

Minako was following Usagi through the busy streets of Tokyo when she ran into a person walking around the corner. "Umph." Her small friend grunted before she went sprawling onto the sidewalk. She however jumped right back up when she noticed who it was. "Stop running into me!"

"Only when you stop running into me." He sneered. "As if you didn't notice it's always you running into me."

"Um, Mamoru, it was you who ran into Usagi this time, we were going straight and it was you who was rounding the corner." Minako piped in and it was the only thing that he allowed to register before he totally blocked her out and narrowed in on her equally blond friend.

"Even so blondie, it's always you so it's jux reward."

"Hmp."

Mamoru seemed annoyed at her noncommittal stance. "What are your ladies plans for the weekend?" He decided to change tactics and spared Minako a glance, albeit reluctantly.

Minako smirked, she and everybody else in a fifty foot radius could tell the two were madly in love with each other but only a few would know that they were also in love with themselves and it was only a person outside the immediate situation, that being Mamoru and Usagi in argumentation, would know both of those. Not that being in love with themselves was a bad thing; it kept Usagi on her feet whenever she was feeling depressed. With Mamoru however it kept him from telling her the truth.

Usagi shrugged.

"Not seeing that Mr. Ugly again are you?"

Usagi glanced slyly up at him. "Why? Not jealous are you?"

"Of you? No way."

Minako saw that even to Usagi it was the wrong answer for somebody known for not messing up on small details, like him instead of you. But only Minako knew of the two-some that it had been on purpose, so he didn't outright lie.

Usagi however took it another way. She started to crack up. Mamoru's eyes narrowed on her and they practically demanded she spill the beans. Usagi caught the look and she laughed even harder. "I-I didn't know, I didn't know you swung that way!"

Minako and Mamoru finally caught on and Minako joined in on the laughter. Mamoru's gaze swung to her. "Oh come on, it's funny!" She protested when he landed that burning leer at her.

Mamoru cleared his throat. "If you're quite finished hacking it up Ordango, it'd probably be a good time to tell me what you're doing so I can avoid you."

"Oh, no worries Mamo-baka." She said it with the sweetest, honey-laced voice possible and gave him a look equal to it, Minako silently applauded. "Because the guy I had dinner with happened to still be there in the morning and we've been invited to his home, isn't that right Minako?"

Minako shook her head happily. "Incorrect Usagi, he was there two nights."

Usagi pondered this before agreeing. "I guess you were right, it was just so magical, so mind blowing that it all seemed to blur into one day. If you know what I mean." Usagi winked at Mamoru. None of it had been a lie, Kunzite had been in Tokyo for two nights and he was over in that last morning, but she could at least make it sound good. "So you see Mamoru, there will be no possibility of you running into me for at least a good four days."

Minako shrugged. "After that, you never know what'll happen."

Mamoru watched them walk down and out of sight, with his fists clenching. Minako noticed however his tense stance and was happy that her friend had finally beaten the man at his own game.

She hummed as they looked at the storefronts. In one of the windows was a beautifully crafted golden hinted butterscotch yellow dress. Minako halted as she stared at the creation, she dimly heard Usagi recognizing her inability to move and came back to stare up at the dress as well. "Go try it on." Her friend gently nudged and Minako went into the store and told the counter lady what she wanted.

They came out a few minutes later with the dress tissue wrapped in a medium paper bag with the store's logo on it.